A long and empty road

My training has become derailed

I am ill
Indeed I have been feeling very ill
Yes, I know that it is only a bad cough, streaming cold and tight chest making it hard to breathe.
And I have to be careful of taking antidotes in case they interact badly with my existing medication.
And yes, I know all the jokes about the severity of man flu.
I have felt so bad that I have not even wanted to eat cake! But as Melanie said #nomilesnocakes
In a week when a friend has died, my complaints pale into insignificance.

But the result is that I can only see a long and empty road ahead.

I have been off the bike for a week now and the training plan is in disarray.

Total distance cycled this year = 3052 km
Total climbing = 22380 m

I am hoping that in another few days this illness will have passed and then it will be back on the bike

But where to re-commence?  The aim has been to gradually increase the furthest distance and then taper towards the end when the London100 approaches. Have I enough miles/fitness in the bank to just ignore the missing week? Or do I take it easy for a few days and then ramp up more quickly to get back on track?

Reverting Back to Childhood

I am now at the end of Week 2  ( out of 12 )  of the Beginners' Training Plan in preparation for my attempt at London100. Overall things are going reasonably well and I am sticking fairly closely to the set programme.

The latest statistics show that

Total distance cycled this year = 2855 km
Total ascent = 21259 m
and in accomplishing this I have used up 65213 calories

The maximum distance remains the same at 125 km

I said fairly closely because I am now instituting a Rest Day  on the day following the endurance ride, instead of the one hour ride,  as last week I obeyed instructions and ended up with an ache behind  my left knee. So as not to shirk on the total exercise, I am using the proposed Rest Day ( Monday ) as a general gentle ride with friends.

It cannot be denied that as an Old Age Pensioner my body perhaps needs more rest and recovery time than the vast majority of riders taking on this challenge, and as a newcomer to cycling I have no reservoir of endurance and stamina.to call upon.

It is said that as you get older you start to revert back to childhood, indeed as far back as the baby stage. My young grandchildren seem to need copious quantities of Sudocream to protect their undercarriage, and now I need the same!

Indeed I am coming to think that I need a veritable medicine cabinet of stuff, what with anti insect bite cream,  massage stick for knotted muscles, small tube of Sudocream just in case, and a Savlon spray if saddle sores or chafing should occur.  Not forgetting the jelly babies to provide that extra boost when I have reached the summit of a hill. Luckily, I will have my own super domestique on the ride itself, namely my son, whom I am hoping to load up with all the spare tubes ,multi-tools, chain links, pump, provisions, medical support, phone, money and other essential stuff.

I am taking this challenge to support the mental health charity Mind and if you would like to support me, and every donation however small is gratefully received, then I will send you a copy of

Cycling Food on the Go - Recipes for Success !  

This pdf booklet contains 20+ recipes, each with a little story as to why it was special to the contributor,  and all monies donated go straight to Mind.

You can contribute here

Feeling the Pressure

I am beginning to feel the pressure.

The countdown clock has just ticked under the 100 days to go and 100 miles ( 162 km ) still feels to be an awfully long way.

The raw statistics show that I am putting in the base rides and the average pace is beginning to creep up.

So far this year

Total distance cycled = 2409 km

Total ascent climbed = 18099 m

and used 55584 C in accomplishing that.

The longest distance has been increased to 126 km which is 78% of the target distance.

My cross training, in the form of swimming, has covered 36.5 Km

On the positive side I am now regularly doing 70 km rides without stopping and my plan for London100 is to aim for 2 * 10 minute rest breaks after 50km and 100 km. All the statistics from my Garmin and Strava files show that my average cadence has increased to 80+ rpm ( from 69 rpm last year ) whilst my heart rate is staying well in control in Zone 2 with just the occasional burst into Zone 3 when climbing.

My aim in this Challenge is just to survive, I am not looking for fast times, and to get round in a total elapsed time of 8 hours will count as a huge success for me. 

So why am I worried? Probably a fear of the unknown and the need to push an aging body to extremes of effort that it has never before experienced, and in taking up cycling at the age of 60 I do not possess a reservoir of endurance to call upon.

But then I look at others.

Earlier this week I went to watch a TT held by Derby Mercury, one of our local cycling clubs.

Some people just crumple in the face of adversity when illness strikes. Others fight back, conquor it and go on to inspire others. 

This lady is an inspiration to us all. Having suffered liver failure she was fortunate to get a transplant and has since done great work in promoting the cause of Organ Donation. She has also become a key member of the GB Transplant Cycling Team representing our country around the world.

I need to show some of the guts and tenacity that she has demonstrated and just get on with it.

I am doing this ride on behalf of Mind, and whilst I need your moral support to drive me on, they need your support to continue the work they do in helping those who suffer from mental health issues

If you feel able to sponsor me then I would be very grateful and for every donation, as a small thank you, I will send you a copy of a recipe booklet entitled Cycling Food on the Go - Recipes for Success.

The recipes in this booklet have been provided by cyclists from around the world and each one comes with its own personal story. 

http://thediaryofmybike.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/cycling-food-on-go_15.html

Powering Home

The weather has now relented and so am back on the saddle. I am loosely following the Beginners Training Plan sent out by Ride London 100 but , what is perhaps even more helpful. is that I am augmenting it with advice from other older, experienced  cyclists. Of most benefit has been the advice from Trevor who has suggested after looking at my Garmin statistics that I should aim to increase my cadence and from @Velopixie who has reassured me that if  I can regularly do 120 km before the event, then I will safely get through the remaining 40 km.

The latest overall statistics now show that for the year to date

Total distance cycled = 2026 km
Total climbing = 15060 m
and this has ensured the consumption of 47564 calories.
Longest distance remains at 110km

My cross training has only involved swimming and I have swam 34 km so far this year.

I do of course fully recognize that my efforts are modest in comparison to the proper road warriors and it is good to see these people in action. So on Saturday I went to watch the BDCA 25 mile Time Trial which was taking place close to where I live. Cyclists are a friendly lot and no one objected to this old man wandering about, admiring the bikes and chatting to some of the competitors. The weather started bright but with rain forecast later. In the event the start was delayed by an hour due to some road repairs that were late finishing and so much of the race took place in the pouring rain.

As the rain got worse and the light began to fade, the going got tougher.  But still they raced on and then , with the finishing line in sight, one extra burst of effort to power them home

Of course, we should not forget that none of this would be able to take place without the devoted efforts of all those commissaires, timekeepers, starters and  other support staff. I salute them all

I will never be riding with riders of this class but it inspires me to keep training so that I can meet my personal challenge for the year; to ride in the London 100 in aid of the Mental Health Charity Mind.

IF you feel able to sponsor me then I would be very grateful and for every donation, as a small thank you, I will send you a copy of a recipe booklet I have compiled entitled Cycling Food on the Go - Recipes for success which was fully described in an earlier post at  http://thediaryofmybike.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/cycling-food-on-go_15.html

Mercian, The Prince of Bikes, #61416

The weather has been arctic and my cycling non-existent for the last 10 days. So, I thought I would publish a post about my vintage Mercian Audax no 61416, the first 2 digits signifying the year of frame build, 1961

I am at least the fifth owner of this bike and during the past 52 years it has seen many places and wonderful stories must be embedded within its frame.

This is how the bike looked when I became its latest owner in June, 2009 after espying it hung up on a garage wall looking magnificent. I asked the seller to give me some of its history and this is its, and his, story.

" I purchased it for my son in 1983.It had formerly been used a s a commuter bike for some years, and now stood, covered in dust, sad and neglected in a garage. A sight to tug the heartstrings of any enthusiast. With worn and flat tyres, worn out rusty  chain and brakes, it had not been cared for or appreciated for a number of years. I think the man said it had belonged to his son originally before he had began using it as a commuter bike to the local Rolls -Royce  factories in Derby. But under the dust, the purple frame was as good as ever, a testimony to Reynolds 521 steel. I think I paid £48 for it, more to save the bike than to please the old owner. After a spruce up with new tyres, tubes, chain and brakes it was presented to my own son who rode it for a few yers until he went off to university.
The bike was then not used greatly unless he was at home during the vacations. After he left university the bike remained with me and I decided to sort out the whole bike from the frame up. Many things had now worn further including the headset which was very badly worn; so much so that I had to have the tubes interior rebuilt up by welding and then re-bored to take a new headset.
To replace it I chose a taper roller headset normally used on cross country bikes. It should not need to be ever adjusted again. The frame was stripped of the old paint, trued up and resprayed and then a chrome finish was added to the wheel drop outs and the frame above for about 18 inches. The original frame had this chrome finish too. I splashed out on two new 27 inch wheels hand built by Mercian. A new Campagnola seat tube plus new bars and head tube completed the rebuild.  The bike was then used for summer rides, I could not bear to take it out in the winter salt! Most of the rides were around 60km or with the local CTC group.
At some point, about 10 years ago, I was knocked off the bike by a motorist who ignored the stop sign at a set of  crossroads. He collided with the back wheel and sent me flying - result - a buckled back wheel and a return trip to Mercians to get the frame checked. No problems on the frame and with the wheel rebuilt onto the same hub all was well. However, as I now owned 5 bikes the Mercian got very little use., and, as I recognized a growing fanaticism in a friend, ( ME !!! ) I sold it to him to fan the flames. Little did I know the roaring fire that it would produce!!  "

And how right he was!

The group set has gone through many variations, from a compact 48/36 Stronglight when my friend acquired it, to a Campagnola 52/42/30 during his period of ownership to its current evolution with a Stronglight 46/36/26 triple as I prepare for the advancing years and try to learn some bike maintenance skills. I originally intended to try and restore it to the condition when it was first built, but a lack of knowledge, coupled with the fact it was probably a high geared racing machine, deterred me. There have been other changes which might form the topic of a further post but now it is back in regular use as a winter bike with 63*32 Schwalbe Marathon tyres ( the only tyres I can get to fit these wheels ). My new Mercian Vincitore Special has become my summer bike and it too has already started to evolve.

Steel is forever, and I have given my daughters-in-law strict instructions on how I want their sons to develop so that, one day, they will be able to inherit and fit perfectly  my beautiful racing machines of engineering excellence

Marginal Gains

First of all a few numbers.

Total distance cycled = 1564 km
Longest Ride = 110 km
Total distance climbed = 11285 m

Total distance swam = 28.4 km

Whilst the furthest distance cycled has not increased, this has been intentional as I have been doing some regular 75 km rides together with a range of other rides as determined by the plan. My intention is not to exceed the 110 km distance for a while yet ( it is 68% of total challenge distance ) but to work on building up other aspects of my cycling fitness.

This brings me on to my attempts to improve by aggregating some Marginal Gains.
Weight kills on a bike, especially when you are having to lug all those extra kilograms up hills and Box Hill lies in wait for me like a tiger stalking its lunch.
I currently weigh in at 73.5 kg but  the total whole system weight includes not only me but also my bike, tools, spare bits and provisions. So something needs to be done.

Step 1. Lose weight and I have made a start by having my hair cut. This seemed to me to be a cost effective way to proceed but in the event the improvement in performance has been very marginal indeed :-() It would appear therefore that personal weight loss will be insufficient.  Other things  need to be addressed!

Step 2 The Brooks 17 saddle and I have a love-hate relationship.  It loves tormenting my butt whilst I hate the pain that can ensue. It also tips the scales at 574 gms. So, riding to the rescue has come a Fizik Arione which not only looks smart and sleek but also comes in at 225 gms, a huge saving and must be worth loads of haircuts .An Italian saddle to go with my Italian Nitto stem, a perfect match and as I explained to my non-cycling wife, things have to be coordinated don't they ?  In addition I acquired it at a bargain price :-)

Step 3  Having successfully explained to my wife the need for full coordination, I thought it  would be worthwhile explaining to her the principles of Rotational Mass and the benefits to be had from steel spokes with aerodynamic shape and aluminium nipples using a  laced pattern with 20 radial spokes on the front wheel and 24 spokes on the rear,  16 being  double crossed at the drive side with 8 radial on the left side.

This Campagnola Neutron wheel set, and being Italian obviously complements the saddle and the seat post. Naturally, they are only to be used in summer so I still need my hand made Mavic wheels with Miche RC2  racing hubs
Of course rotational mass is all about something

 called the moment of inertia and is

I = 0.5 m r2

ω is the rate of rotation, expressed is radians/second:

ω = 2 π rev/sec
rev/sec = v / circumference = v / (2 π r)
ω = 2 π (v / (2 π r)) = v / r

so

Erotating = 0.5 (0.5 m r2) (v2/r2)
= 0.25 m v2

That is, the rotating energy is 1/2 the linear (translational) energy.

I looked up at this point to see if wife thought a diagram might assist but she had fallen asleep!  Can you believe it!

When fitted my Mercian Vincitore Special looks like this :

Well, I think it will give me a load of marginal gains, and is far easier than actually dieting.
I am sure wife will agree when she wakes up :-)

Upping The Level

Following my last report a few people have been in touch offering both support and advice and I am really grateful to all those who get in touch. When the weather is arctic, the fog thick and the hills seem to be getting ever steeper then it is good to know that you have people out there rooting for you.  My level of effort has increased over the last couple of weeks with a further two 100km+ rides completed and a new record set for  the maximum distance on a single ride , 110km.
I have also , as recommended by the plan, started some interval training. Not much and not severe I will admit, but 20 second full gas bursts every 5 minutes irrespective whether on the  flat or climbing.
I was told that every training ride must have a purpose and this dictum I have also adopted. One aim is to increase my average cadence ( it was ~73rpm ) and use the gears to help achieve this as a higher cadence / lower gear combination is probably putting less strain on my knees and conserving some energy.
I am not sure how I can tell if I really am getting fitter but my average pace is slowly increasing whilst my heart rate is slowly decreasing.

The latest statistics show

Total distance cycled this year = 1252km
Height climbed  = 9331 m
Longest ride = 110 km
Calories burnt = 29578

Total distance swam = 24.15 km

I am using swimming as my Rest Day exercise but generally restrict it to about 1 km a session

If you feel able to sponsor me in this challenge in aid of Mind, then the link is

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/teamroberts

and for everyone who does donate there is a free Cycling Food on the Go Recipe Booklet

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